Sur La Table Kitchen Essentials: Cookware, Cutlery, and Bakeware

Shirley Collins opened Sur La Table in Seattle's Pike Place Market on September 7, 1972, after noticing that local home cooks had few places to find specialized equipment. I like the practical logic of that beginning: the point was not to collect a kitchen full of things, but to make the next meal easier to begin. This edit follows the same test. I start with cookware that can manage weeknight pasta, a slow braise, or eggs before work, then move to knives that make preparation feel orderly, and finally to bakeware that earns its storage space.

 

Before buying a set, think about your stove, cupboard depth, and how many meals you actually make at once. A stainless-steel set can cover several jobs, while cast iron is useful when heat retention matters. A nonstick option can simplify delicate foods, but it is worth choosing one pan you will use rather than repeating the same shape in four sizes. For knives, balance a chef's knife or Santoku with a paring blade and a bread knife instead of defaulting to a large block. For bakeware, measure the oven rack and cabinet before adding stacked trays. The best Sur La Table pieces here are the ones that fit both the recipe and the kitchen they will live in.

The 10-piece stainless set is the broadest starting point: its listing includes two frying pans, two lidded saucepans, a sauté pan, and a Dutch oven, with a tri-ply base. The 4-piece stackable set takes a different route, combining a 5.3-quart Dutch oven, braiser, and grill pan in enamel-coated cast iron, with induction compatibility. For a smaller counter, the Main Canteen 9.5-inch skillet has a wood handle, while the Chef's Deck 8-inch pan uses a tri-ply base for a quick sear.

 

The 3.75-quart braiser's borosilicate glass lid lets you keep an eye on a one-pan meal, and the 5-quart Dutch oven brings a glass lid to soups or low simmering. I also like the 2-quart stainless double boiler for chocolate or delicate sauces; its tempered glass lid keeps the process visible without lifting the cover. Match materials to meals: use stainless steel when you want browning and a nonreactive surface, and cast iron when you need steady heat from stove to oven. Before committing, compare the included pot sizes with how you cook and leave room for the set in your cupboard. What I would skip is buying two cookware sets at once. Choose the set whose pieces fit your burner size, then add a braiser or smaller skillet only if it solves a real gap.

A good cutlery edit starts by comparing the shapes, not the piece count. The 8-inch chef's knife and 7-inch Santoku are both German steel and full tang, but each gives you a different feel for chopping; the Santoku's shorter blade can be less intimidating for everyday vegetable prep. The 3.5-inch paring knife handles strawberries and shallots, while the 8-inch bread knife's serrations protect a crust from being crushed. The 5-inch utility knife sits between those scales, and the 8-inch slicer is the one I would reach for when a roast needs clean, even slices.

 

If you need a ready-made drawer, the 14-piece set includes a block, shears and sharpener, while the 7-piece Tasting Kitchen block set adds an ashwood block. Check the number of steak knives and whether the block will fit beneath upper cabinets before choosing. A small home cook can start with the chef's knife, paring knife and bread knife, then add a Santoku if lots of vegetables are on the menu. Keep the knife you reach for most near the board, and store the rest with enough space to avoid nicked edges. What I would skip is buying both blocks together; the single knives already cover the jobs that overlap, and a crowded counter makes prep less pleasant.

The 3-piece Platinum Pro sheet-pan set is the most versatile anchor in this group: it includes quarter-sheet, half-sheet, and jelly-roll pans, each made from aluminized steel with a corrugated surface for air circulation. The 3-piece Bake Sale cookie sheet set spans 13, 15, and 18 inches, which helps when one tray is in the oven and another is cooling. For smaller bakes, the 12-count standard muffin pan covers a batch of cupcakes, while the XL sheet pan arrives with a nonstick cooling rack. The six-piece Platinum Pro bakeware set is the fullest option for a new kitchen; the 1/8 sheet pair suits compact ovens or a small roast.

 

Match trays to your oven rack and the shelf where they will live. A larger pan can roast vegetables in one layer, but may crowd a narrow oven. Aluminized steel and carbon steel are different constructions, so follow each product's care and temperature guidance rather than assuming every coating can take the same treatment. What I would skip is buying every sheet size before measuring. A half sheet, one small pan, and a muffin tin cover everyday baking without turning a cupboard into a tray file. That restraint feels true to Sur La Table's Pike Place beginning, where Collins responded to what cooks needed. I would keep that same test: make space for tools you use, then let the food, not the equipment, be the reason to cook.